Kurama's Clinic
by The Countess of Monte Cristo
Summary: This is a series centering around Kurama healing his teammates during the Dark Tournament, complete with a surprise ending.
1. Crybaby

_A/N I've always loved the fact that Kurama as a healer, and I feel like he never got the recognition he deserved for his talent. That's why I decided to do this little series taking place throughout the Dark Tournament and featuring Kurama using his special healing ability. This first chapter was written due to the fact that, in the manga, it is mentioned the patches Yusuke wears on his forehead after his fight with Chu, were herbal remedies from Kurama. Stick with this fic, please, it's a little slow in the beginning but it gets very good in the end, I promise. _

"If you got something to say, say it!" Yusuke bellowed to the rowdy crowd, cockily jutting out his chin in defiance, "But say it to my face, or else say it to my fists!"

A hush fell over the throng of spectators as Yusuke spoke. _Well, you certainly have a way with words, Yusuke,_ Kurama thought with a shake of his head. He walked over to the detective, accessing the damage he had taken in his battle against Chu. The drunken warrior was a formidable foe, and it was unsurprising to find Yusuke the worse for wear after the altercation. He was lucky the blow to his head hadn't fractured his skull, but, as it was, the gash that was left there needed attention if it were to heal before the next match. More concerning were the deep lacerations that rent the flesh of his feet. If he were to walk at all, they needed swift treatment, especially if Yusuke wished to be able to move in his upcoming matches. A normal human might have been hobbled permanently by such a stunt. While Kurama was certain that Yusuke could heal on his own, it probably would not be in time for the upcoming round.

As Yusuke made a rude gesture at the Toguro brothers who had come to witness the fight, Kurama moved to relieve Kuwabara of the burden of supporting Yusuke. The boy was injured as well, and he would turn his attention to healing his wounds once he was finished with the detective. Kuwabara could not afford any soreness to distract him from his coming fights; he needed all the focus he could muster, if he were to survive. He had been lucky this round, but his next opponent, should he lose, would not be so merciful.

There was also Hiei to consider. While he would never admit it, he was in worse shape than Yusuke. The Darkness Flame had not only greatly depleted his energy, but had also burned him quite severely. If Hiei ever wished to regain the use of his right arm, his dominant arm, his sword arm, then he needed prompt aid. What was worse, Hiei would never admit that he needed help from anyone, even him. He would see it as an admission of weakness, and that was something he would never accept. He had healed him once when they first met, but that was only because he had been unconscious at the time. Kurama would have to resort to some underhanded method to heal him…which might just end in him being bodily harmed by his reluctant patient.

Deciding to deal with this situation later, he refocused his attention on Yusuke. Now that he had the detective leaning on him, he could sense his spirit energy, or more accurately his _lack_ of spirit energy. What little energy he had left should have already subconsciously begun to heal his wounds, but Kurama was concerned that this wasn't the case. He could sense the dregs of his energy, but it seemed to be locked within the boy's body. It was troubling, but there wasn't anything that he could do for him in that regard.

"If you don't object, Yusuke, I could heal you," Kurama offered, leading Yusuke out of the stadium and down the path that led to the hotel. "The cuts you received to your heels are quite deep, and it would be advisable for you to accept my offer, so that the wounds have time to heal before the next round."

"Wow, Kurama, you have healing powers, too?" Yusuke asked, impressed. "You been holding out on me?"

Kurama laughed lightly at this, shaking his head and conceding, "I do have minor healing abilities due to me affinity for plants."

"I guess that makes sense. It's a good thing, too. We'll probably need our own ER unit the way this tournament thing's going."

"I'll go get my scrubs now," Kurama joked, smiling at the playful detective. Even as hurt as he was, he refused to lose his cheerful spirit. It was refreshing, dealing with this petulant child. Having spent so much time with the brooding Hiei, Kurama found Yusuke's lighthearted demeanor was a welcome reprieve.

Yusuke snorted as they arrived at the hotel, and upon reaching their rooms, he was forcefully shoved down on the couch with Kurama implying bodily harm would befall him should he try to escape treatment. Returning with a first aid kit and a small bag that Yusuke was sure was filled with seeds, he sat facing Yusuke. Opening the first aid kit, Kurama took out some bandages, alcohol, and cotton balls.

"Got any of that alcohol for drinking?" he asked, eyeing it warily.

"I will in about five years…" he replied absently, dabbing the cotton ball in the alcohol and applying it to the scrape on Yusuke's forehead. He flinched horribly at this, and moved to leave the couch.

"Sit _still_, Yusuke," Kurama chided patiently.

"But it _burns_," he whined, his tough act forgotten.

"Take it like a man, Urameshi," said Kuwabara, flopping onto the couch opposite them with all the grace of a sack of bricks. Then, as soon as his back hit the couch, he winced and whimpered loudly.

"Yeah, I should be more like you and just snivel," Yusuke gripped, shooting his friend an annoyed glare.

"I'll see to your back injury, too, Kuwabara, once I'm finished with him," Kurama stated, effectively heading off what was sure to become a heated argument, never taking his eyes from his irate patient.

After carefully cleaning his numerous cuts, he grew a small pain killer from a seed and wrapped it in a bandage, attaching it securely to the center of Yusuke's forehead. The detective felt the bandage dubiously.

"No offense, but if this seed came from your hair then I don't think this is very hygienic…" he complained uncomfortably.

"Don't worry, Yusuke, I only carry seeds on my person that can be wielded as weapons," he assured, amused.

"Ah, that's a relief," Yusuke said. He felt a blush creep over his cheeks as Kurama picked up both his feet and set them in his lap. The blush quickly turned ashen as he felt the burning sensation of alcohol seep into the open wounds, but he willed himself to keep still, mindful of how Kuwabara was watching them.

After both feet were cleaned, Kurama mercifully applied more painkillers to wound. Yusuke couldn't help a relieved sigh at the pleasant cooling sensation. He barely has time to appreciate his relief before Kurama applied another strange substance to his wounds. As Kurama fed it with his energy, Yusuke watched in amazement as his skin began to knit together.

"Whoa, how'd you do that?" he questioned.

"I merely applied some yarrow and used my energy to increase its healing potential and reduce the time it took to close the wound exponentially," he explained.

"Damn useful," Yusuke muttered, then grinning cheekily asked, "Wouldn't mind giving your sore team captain a foot rub, eh?"

Sighing, Kurama stood up, unceremoniously dumping Yusuke's feet on the cushion in the process.

_A/N There's the first part, hope you enjoyed. Next up Kuwabara…_


	2. Understanding

_A/N Sorry this one is so short, it's really a pentadrabble that I added on to. The next one will be a bit longer, but the last two should be at least as long as the first, probably longer. This takes place literally seconds after the first chapter, so if you haven't read it in a while, you might want to glace back at it. In case you're opposed to that I added the last two paragraphs from chapter 1 to the front of this one._

"Damn useful," Yusuke muttered, then grinning cheekily asked, "Wouldn't mind giving your sore team captain a foot rub, eh?"

Sighing, Kurama stood up, unceremoniously dumping Yusuke's feet on the cushion in the process.

Walking over to Kuwabara, Kurama ignored Yusuke's grumpy mumblings that sounded suspiciously like "coulda just said no, didn't have to be mean about it," watching the detective retire to his room.

Kurama motioned for Kuwabara to take of his shirt as he sat beside him, unraveling a large bandage, and coating it with a plant to numb the pain. He began to wrap it gently but tightly around the boy's trunk, quiet and attentive as he worked.

"I'm sorry, Kurama…" Kuwabara whispered so low and hesitant that Kurama could almost let himself believe he had imagined his words.

"Whatever for, Kuwabara?" he asked lightly.

"You were a good teacher, Kurama and I let you down," he continued in a broken voice. "Turns out I'm not cut out for this tournament…"

Ah, Kuwabara was embarrassed by his defeat today. If Kurama was being honest with himself, it was, indeed, a very humiliating loss, but he had had his moments of triumph as well.

"On the contrary, Kuwabara, I am quite proud of your performance," he replied earnestly.

Kuwabara turned to face him with a skeptical expression after Kurama had secured his dressings. Kurama suppressed his laughter at the expression, not wishing to injure the boy's pride any further, shaking his head.

"You fought admirably, and it was only your ability to be so easily provoked that lost you the match. Had you been more prudent with your attention, you would have ignored Yusuke's barb and returned to the ring in time," Kurama replied lightly, smiling at the look of indignation on the boy's face.

"I thought for sure you'd nail me for being so stupid, or at least insult me for making your training look bad."

"You are mistaking me for our other teammate, the small, dark one," he teased mildly. Then added on a more serious note, "You proved with your last attack that your control over your spirit sword has increased, and that was one of the purposes of our training, so I have no right to complain."

Kuwabara looked emboldened by Kurama's speech, and his face lost the last trace of vulnerability it had held moments before.

"Besides, you can take the mistakes you made in this round and realize what not to do in the next one. You must see this like a learning experience rather than a failure. For it is only when we fail that we truly learn," he finished sagely, replacing the unused bandages in the first aid kit and pocketing the packet of seeds.

"Well, then I expect Kuwabara will be a genius before the end of this tournament," came a cold voice from out of sight. Stepping out from behind Kurama, Hiei raked a sneer at his teammate. Kurama turned to give Hiei a concerned look, pointedly gazing at his arm, concealed conspicuously behind his back in what would look to anyone else as a casual position. Hiei ignored his gaze, taking his usual place on the windowsill.

"Dammit, shorty, don't sneak up on us like that," Kuwabara screeched. Then he added in a softer voice, "Thanks, Kurama. You always know just what to say."

"You flatter me." Kurama smiled lightly at Kuwabara. The boy had a lot to learn, but what he did not know he made up for with heart. A more passionate fighter, one was unlikely to find. The boy loved fighting, and he thrived on the thrill of pitting his skills against his opponents. Training him had taught him that much. Not only that but he had potential. His spiritual awareness far exceeded that of any other human he had ever met. With more combat experience, he could become a force to be reckoned with, indeed.

"Kurama…" Kuwabara began hesitantly. When Kurama raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment and approval for him to continue, he did. "When you fought today, I thought you had it in the bag…"

Kurama steeled himself at this. His mother was a weakness that he had not expected to be crippled by in this tournament. That showing of submission had been a blow to his pride.

"I don't mean to be invading your privacy or nothin' 'cause you seem like the kind of guy that would appreciate their secrets…" he was rambling now.

Kurama interrupted him smoothly. "Kuwabara, you may ask your question."

Nodding, he continued, "I know that I asked already, and you didn't want to answer, but I see you as a friend now, and I just wanted to know what happened up there. You were smokin' 'im and then you just stopped fighting while he pounded on you. It was hard to watch…"

Kurama blinked in surprise at this. It was a novel enough experience to realize that his human mother cared for him. He had received another shock when Yusuke, whom he had just met, nearly died in an effort to save his life. Now, this boy he had met barely three months ago and only had a few conversations with, cared about him, too. Next thing he knew, Hiei would be confessing his undying love…

Deciding that it would be best to speak the truth to him as he was genuinely concerned, he answered. "The demon I was fighting threatened the life of my mother if I did not submit to his will."

Kuwabara's eyes became large orbs in his head. "Oh, now that makes sense. Creep, how did he even know about that?"

"It would seem my association with Spirit World has come to light in the demon community since Maze Castle. I fear this tournament will only make my family's privacy and safely more threatened…"

"Aw, man, Kurama, that sucks. I didn't think that would happen like this. Sorry, man," he said with emotion. Kurama smiled at the sincerity in the action, warmed by the feeling of belonging to this team.

"Well, I wouldn't have you all fighting here without me, having all the fun, so it's nothing for you to feel guilty about."

He nodded to Kurama, standing up and stretching. "I should get some rest," he said over his shoulder as he left, retreating into the room he shared with Yusuke, leaving the two demons in silence.

_A/N Ah, Hiei confessing his undying love...I just couldn't resist the wishful thinking...ha._


	3. Burned

Kurama walked over to the window under the guise of sightseeing. He peered askance at Hiei's arm, frowning deeply. It was much worse than he had assumed. The flesh was blackened with what little skin that clung onto the bone valiantly, either withered and dead or pink and scorch marked. It looked very painful. Even though Hiei's face didn't show it, Kurama knew he was in unimaginable agony.

Grabbing Hiei's arm both swiftly and gently before he had time to react, he studied it carefully. Hiei couldn't suppress an agonized groan at the touch, nor did he dare try to force his arm out of Kurama's grasp. He knew that he would be unable to, for though the grip was light it could turn vice-like in an instant, and Hiei didn't want to risk the pain that would come with it. So, he gritted his teeth and allowed Kurama to examine him.

"Hiei...it was very rash of you to use that technique. No one has ever mastered it, and I don't even know that you've ever attempted it before," Kurama admonished, his voice harsh and his face fierce. There was a fire blazing in his usually cooling emerald gaze as he urged his friend to heed his plea. "It was not necessary for you to risk life and limb on that move."

"Hn. You know as well as I do that Zeru was no amateur. I did what I had to do, nothing more," he barked, wincing as Kurama lightly prodded a particularly sore patch of inflamed skin, causing him to let out an unintentional hiss.

"Hiei, you need to take better care of yourself," Kurama demanded, anger warming his voice. Hiei turned away from him, glaring out of the window. "Are you listening to me?"

"Shut up, fool," Hiei glowered, turning his blood-red glare to the relentless redhead.

Kurama's own eyes dropped, crimson locks obscuring his expression. "Please, Hiei…I'm begging you, as your friend, allow me help you."

Hiei started at Kurama's imploring tone of voice. As far as he knew, Kurama, like him, did not beg for anything. He was also startled by Kurama referring to him as his friend. He had said before that they were merely a crutch for the weak. Neither of them was weak in any sense of the word, and yet Kurama still viewed him as a friend. Friendship was a new concept to him. It was true, he knew Kurama well and grudgingly liked him well enough. He knew that that was the definition of a friend. But how did a friend behave?

"You should nurse yourself before attending to me," Hiei replied softly, tracing with his left forefinger, an x on his cheek. Kurama reached up with his free hand absently mirroring Hiei's movement on his own face, fingering the cut that Roto had slashed there.

"It's superficial, I'll take care of it shortly," he replied, eyes still sparkling with concern.

"Look, even if I were willing to let you do something, you can't heal this with your plants," Hiei relented, exasperated, finally worn down by the redhead's persuasive air. No one ever denied Kurama what he wanted for long.

Kurama's eyes widened in innocence, and he protested, "I can apply aloe vera to the burns. It will alleviate the pain, sooth the inflammation, and help it heal naturally."

"Hn," Hiei grunted, compliant. Kurama turned the full force of one of his dazzling smiles on him, and Hiei could only stare, mesmerized by its intensity. He had never seen the man smile so freely and so…beautifully. Hiei had always noticed Kurama's delicate features, for he had teased him about it at every opportunity, but they looked practically angelic with such an expression. Hiei was momentarily dumbfounded that such a man, one who could kill mercilessly without thought or compassion, could be so delightfully warm and tenderhearted outside of battle.

Lost as he was in his musings, he didn't realize Kurama had already grown the aloe, slit the leaves lengthwise and scraped out the thick gel, and begun to rub it into his seared arm, until he felt the pleasantly cool sensation on his skin. Hiei couldn't stifle a small gasp of relief at the numbingly cold respite from the painful burning he had experienced for the past few hours.

The hands on his arm were soft and silky like the petals of a rose, but they were also strong, the hands of a warrior. He blew gently on his arm after he had applied the aloe, adding to the pleasing cooling sensation before relinquishing it.

"There, now, was that so bad?" Kurama teased, amusement a bright twinkle in his eye.

"Hn," Hiei scoffed, flitting from sight before Kurama could say anymore.

"Thank you," Kurama whispered to the wind.


	4. Treated

_A/N I have to say that these next two chapters are without a doubt, the best, and they are the sole reason I made this fiction. I hope you enjoy them, and thank you for sticking it out this long to get to the good stuff. I promise the next chapter will be even better._

"Watch their fights?" Hiei muttered crossly to himself, unwrapping the bandage on his arm and testing it experimentally. "Sorry, old hag, but I have better ways to spend my time."

Hiei stood on a cliff overlooking the ocean just outside the hotel. Before him, he ignited a blaze that dwarfed him and prepared himself to unleash the Darkness Flame. Steeling himself, he plunged his arm into the fire. Responding to his energy the orange flames lapped at his arm, swirling with midnight ones to create a towering inferno. Tendrils of the fire broke free from the rest, swirling into the form of a dragon then dying once they hit the sea.

He didn't need to witness the fights to realize that he must get stronger in order to prevail. He knew well of Yusuke's rivalry with the younger Toguro brother, but he cared little for their petty squabble. He didn't trust the detective to be able to defeat this foe alone. He planned on taking care of the team leader himself.

Kurama barely noticed where his feet took him, let alone how he got out of the stadium and into the open air. While being outside usually calms him greatly, he didn't even feel the surge of energy that the grass underfoot provided him, nor the peace that it once brought with it.

A deep depression gripped the red haired fighter. Karasu was his superior in every category: strength, speed, power, and cunning. The mind game he had played earlier as well as his stolen caress was designed to intimidate him, and that, as well as his performance in the arena, had indeed been effective. He had been challenged to a match that he was certain to lose.

Witnessing the fights may not have been in his best interest after all. Karasu's power was incredible. By touching his opponent, he is able to send his energy directly into their bodies. He then ignites it, turning his adversary into an explosive and destroying them from the inside. It was too much for this body…

It had been a very long time since Kurama had feared death in battle. He had never, in his long existence, entered into combat believing it to be a lost cause. Never before had an enemy gotten so far past his defenses, either. He had never been touched against his will, and it had been a very corrupting experience. He felt contaminated. The touch was innocent enough, but the malice behind it, the strong desire for his destruction, was what made him feel ill.

The knowledge that he had more power trapped inside him, power enough to defeat his enemy, power that he was unable to reach, was almost too much to bear. That small taste he had received in the last round, that short reprieve from his human prison, was enough to have him yearning for more. For if he was unable to shed his humanity during this next fight, he was sure to perish. With the power of the yoko, however, he may just stand a chance of beating him.

He must find the secret to that transformation. The age reversal was the only way he would be able to win. If he could transform into his demon form, even for a short while, he would be powerful enough to defeat that mad bomber.

He resolved to seek out Sazuki and demand to be informed of the secrets of the Idun Box just as soon as he located Hiei. The small demon had been injured more severely than he cared to admit, and if he was to be in pique fighting condition by tomorrow then he had to let Kurama heal him. He knew that he would be reluctant to leave his training, for that was why he had not accompanied Kurama to the matches, but his health in the next round was more important. He had to be strong enough to win, for Kurama doubted that, even with all the training in the world, _he_ would be victorious in his own match…

It didn't take long to locate Hiei. He was in his usual training spot by the ocean, incinerating his arm in a fierce fire of dancing amber and sable. As Kurama approached, Hiei threw a quick glance over his shoulder, then upon seeing his expression, turned swiftly to stare openly at his nearing teammate, fire forgotten.

"You look ruffled, Kurama," Hiei stated blandly, but his tone belied the concern that just barely registered on his face before quickly being smoothed into his usual look of indifference.

"It's nothing," Kurama replied casually, trying and failing to shed his unease. He should have known better than to come to his companion as he was before taking the time to calm himself. He could never hide his emotions from Hiei.

Hiei snorted contemptuously, "No use lying to me, Kurama. I'm not the oblivious detective or his buffoon of a side kick. Tell me what happened. You were a good boy and, doing as you were told, watched the matches, I assume."

"Yes. They were…short," Kurama replied curtly.

"But that's not what's troubling you," Hiei stated, once again displaying his knack for reading Kurama. It was funny, Kurama spent a great deal of his time attempting to shield his thoughts and emotions, and normally succeeded, and yet this one demon almost always had him figured out. Kurama turned away from him at this, but Hiei snatched his arm roughly, spinning him around to face him once more. Kurama's eyes widened into shocked jade orbs as his grip tightened. Hiei never initiated physical contact.

Sighing in defeat, for he knew that Hiei would never let this drop, he relented, resigned to tell the truth, "I was cornered by the other two members of Team Toguro after their fights."

Hiei cursed inaudibly under his breath at this, dropping his captured arm. He should have been there. Damn, trust the fox to get into trouble on one of the rare occasions he wasn't at his side.

"What happened?" Hiei demanded, his protectiveness of the fox flaring to life. Kurama did not look physically hurt, but there was a certain fragility to his state of mind right now.

Kurama wouldn't look at him as he spoke very quietly, "A fighter of tremendous power, Karasu…He…"

He seemed to struggle to find the right words for what exactly the man had done to him.

"Ah, I see, he mind raped you," Hiei said, nodding. It certainly explained the way the fox was acting.

"Pardon?" Kurama asked sharply, eyes wide in surprise, his anguish, for the time being, forgotten.

"Well, you should know better than I what that means," Hiei replied, amused. "You're quite the accomplished mind rapist, after all…getting into your opponent's head, intimidating them, psyching them out, making them feel that they have already lost before the battle has begun. He beat you at your own game."

Kurama blinked at him in surprise. It was a vulgar, but very accurate way of defining what had happened. He certainly felt violated.

"How very eloquent," he managed a smile at his companion's bluntness.

"Hn," Hiei replied, turning his back to his teammate. "I trust you didn't come here for reassurance."

"No, I came to heal you," Kurama admitted.

Hiei snorted in disgust, not bothering to dignify the statement by turning back around. "I need to train, not to rest."

"Hiei…" Kurama began to protest.

Hiei whipped around cutting him off. Recognizing the look in those hard, green eyes, he should have known then what was about to happen …

"Kurama…" he bit out angrily, but that was as far as he got before he began to feel slightly dizzy. A warm and peaceful sensation overtook him, and he could smell the faint traces of pollen in the air. Then, he knew no more.

Comfortable and warm, Hiei immediately knew something was wrong. He shouldn't feel so peaceful and well rested. He had been sleeping poorly since this tournament began, and he had barely gone a moment since arriving without being exhausted or sore. But he felt good…healed. And then he remembered that traitorous fox.

Sitting up in the bed as fast as his groggy body would let him, he looked around, realizing he was in the room he shared with the very object of his displeasure. He spied the person in question across the room obsessively sifting through an assortment of seeds. So absorbed in his work as he was, he didn't realize his unwilling patient had awoken. That was unusual for the cautious demon. He was always hyper-aware of his surroundings. To be so focused on one task was dangerous for the wary fox. This enemy of his must have really gotten under his skin.

Clearing his throat loudly to get his attention, Hiei watched as the stressed redhead forced a smile as he gazed up at him, crossing the room to sit beside him on the bed.

"Feeling better?" he asked lightly, bracing himself for the berating he was about to receive.

"I'm feeling irritated by a certain traitorous fox," he muttered, resigning himself to take it easy on him in light of his current distress.

"I'm truly sorry for the deception, Hiei, but if you weren't so stubborn then I wouldn't have needed to drug you," he replied with conviction.

"You're lucky that you, too, need to fight tomorrow, or I'd show you just what I think of your 'deception,'" Hiei muttered crossly.

"I assure you that I had your best interests at heart," Kurama replied, then whispered very softy, "We'll need you to be at top form if you are to defeat your opponent, for I fear I will be unable to do so…"

"Enough, are you just going to play right into his hands by beating yourself up like this, or are you going to grow a spine and destroy him like I know that you can?" Hiei yelled, wishing to get through to the hopeless fox. "You're disappointing. There's no way I'll be associating myself with someone who is acting as pitiful as you are now…"

Kurama's eyes steeled at this, and he seemed to snap out of his despair at Hiei's word. "…Forgive my weakness, Hiei, you are correct. I'm far too old to act like a sniveling child."

Hiei nodded at this. "Come out and train with me. If you don't improve, I can at least beat some sense into you."


	5. Inversion

_A/N Here it is the final chapter. Thanks to everyone who made it this far, here is your reward. This is defiantly my favorite chapter!_

Kurama collapsed inelegantly on the bed, allowing his face to mirror all the agony that currently racked his body, unaware that he was currently being watched.

"You can't fool me, I know you were being supported by the detective just as much as you were supporting him, if not more," came a cold, clear voice on the other side of the room.

First Touya and now Hiei, Kurama was beginning to lose his touch. When Kurama gave no indication of answering, Hiei took his silence for concession and continued, "Come here, fox. Turnabout is fair play. Don't make me drug you as you did me."

"…Hiei, you are overestimating my ability to move…if I were able, I would be on my feet," came the soft reply, voice laced with the pain he was too exhausted to hide. Hiei's eyes widened and his face hardened, brow furrowed, not bothering to hide his concern. He came over to where Kurama lie, his face contorted in unfathomable agony, he had undoubtably made his injuries worse carrying on as he did…every movement rent the torn flesh…

He supported him as he stripped him of his shirt and gently laid him back down. He made a small, hurt sound as Hiei disentangled the remaining remnants of his shirt from the most severe wounds on his abdomen. The dried blood had acted as glue, bonding the torn cloth to equally torn flesh. The tenderness of his actions surprised Kurama as did the sharp intake of breath when he examined the now bare, open wounds. They were scorched and blackened at the edges, but raw and pink where the muscly sinew was exposed.

"Bloody Enma, Kurama, how could you stay conscious much less move as you are?" He demanded gruffly, in shocked admiration with a hint of anger.

"...Pure stubbornness," he whispered weakly, voice constricted in agony.

"I'm going to have to clean the wounds…but it will be painful…" Hiei hesitated, dreading the answer he was sure to receive to his next question. "Do you wish to be unconscious for it?"

"No…I'll survive," Hiei frowned at this, noting that despite his brave words, he appeared to be on Death's Door, only too weak to knock. He proceeded to sterilize a clean rag with the air of someone going against his better judgment. Dabbing the wound as lightly and as tenderly as possible, Kurama still hitched his breath as the rag raked across his sensitive flesh.

Even as rational thought had long since abandoned him, dimly, in some small part of his brain not numbed by flesh searing agony, he registered how gentle Hiei was being. Despite his hard exterior, his true nature was very much similar to that of his sister's. He could be very gentle and caring when the occasion called for it, provided that no one was around to bear witness to it.

He remained stock still, refusing to make a noise to vocalize his torture as Hiei continued to thoroughly cleanse his wounds.

"It's alright, Kurama, you can scream. It will make you feel better," he urged, applying the same ointment on his burns that Kurama had used on him such a short time ago and also applying an herb he had taught him was good for closing wounds. They truly had come full circle. Hiei allowed himself the time to ponder this, before realizing that Kurama, like him, would be too full of pride to listen to reason.

He shook his head mulishly, but could not stifle the small whimper that escaped him as Hiei barely skimmed a severely deep gash as he began to dress the wounds. He shivered slightly, and at this Hiei finally became aware of the heat radiating off the demon. He had assumed until now, that it was merely a byproduct of his energy healing his torn and broken body. Hiei's eyes narrowed suspiciously as his hand came to rest softy against Kurama's forehead. His hands were sword callused and rough against his skin.

"Kurama, you little fool, you've made yourself ill with your posturing, you have a fever," he growled. "You've pushed yourself too hard!"

"…There's an antipyretic in the first aid kit," he said vaguely, shivering again. Hiei dug it out and forced it down the now slightly delirious fox's throat.

He watched in silence as the fox's face began to glow a color that would have made his hair jealous. He started to huff occasionally, breath coming in gasps, before evening out slightly as he slipped into unconsciousness. Hiei dimly remembered the need to make the fever break before it could get better, so he retreated into the bathroom, bringing out a cool, damp cloth and a bucket of cold ice water. He rung the rag out, and placed it on Kurama's still burning forehead. He then walked over to his own bed, stripping it of its coverings and laying them over the now bandaged, sleeping fighter. He truly did look so frail, lying there under piles of blankets, shivering, his delicate features sharpened by pain.

"Hiei…I'm sorry," he mumbled weakly and absently, half incoherent form exhaustion and fever, his voice small and sounding as if it came from very far away. Hiei started at this sound, certain that he had been deeply asleep.

"What are you saying?" he asked, realizing that Kurama, like him, talked in his sleep.

"...You told me…not to be foolish…anymore…and not to do anything so reckless…again…I…let…you…down…" His voice became more and more hushed as he went on until Hiei could barely make out the words he was speaking.

Hiei blinked at his sleeping companion, surprised that he had taken his words to heart. He had meant what he said after Kurama's thrashing by that sorry fool, Bakken. Kurama always took unnecessary risks in battle, but much as it irked him, it was also endearing. Just part of the fox's enigmatic charm.

"Hn, fool, I wouldn't care this much if you weren't the pain you are," Hiei only admitted because he was sure Kurama was either asleep or so delirious that he would not remember. "You'd better not die on me; it would be too much trouble to break in a new best friend."

He had realized as much while he watch Kurama struggle to survive against Touya and Bakken, while he himself was powerless, unable to help. He had realized then just how much the fox meant to him, and just how much it would hurt to lose him.

He mused on this, replacing the now warm cloth with a colder one, draping it across his burning forehead. "You're the one who needs to take better care of himself."

He was proud of the fox, truly. He had heard the things that Karasu was speaking to him during their fight, even if no one else had. He had been trying once again to steal into Kurama's mind, trying to get him off balance. Hiei had to admit that the words coming out of the demon's mouth were sickening. They had disgusted him, and when he took a dip into the demon's mind to confirm his suspicion, he found that they were all true. He really desired the fox and wanted him in the _worst _way. His perverse fantasies had made even Hiei cringe. Kurama had been rattled when the demon had cornered him only yesterday, and yet, during all of that fight Kurama remained steadfast, determined not to give Karasu any foothold in his mind. He had been calm and collected the entire fight, even at the end when he stared down almost certain, bloody death.

Grateful, for the first time, for having some knowledge of first aid, for he was a fighter after all and knowing something about healing was a necessity in the harsh and unforgiving Demon Realm, he kept vigil at Kurama's side through the night, relief hitting him in waves as first Kurama's shivering subsided, then his fever broke, and eventually his wounds began to seal themselves.

Satisfied that the fox would, indeed, survive, Hiei left his bedside, venturing into the common area. He was surprised to find Yusuke there, awake and staring at nothing. He looked up when Hiei entered, giving a half-hearted smile in greeting.

"Kurama alright?" he asked, correctly guessing that Hiei had been attending to him all this time.

"The idiot made himself sick with his tough act. He was more injured than he led us to believe," the taciturn Hiei replied. "I believe that you are as familiar as I am with his flair for understatement."

"_Will_ he be alright?" the detective asked, rephrasing his question.

"How should I know? I'm no doctor," Hiei replied unsociably, then added when Yusuke looked honestly stricken, "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Satisfied, Yusuke nodded, and they remained in companionable silence until the bored detective eventually nodded off. Deciding to return to his room in case Kurama took a turn for the worst, Hiei left the detective, but not before carefully wrapping a blanket across his still form. 

The next morning, Hiei was surprised to find Kurama not only dressed and awake, but busy moving around the room collecting his things. He looked unnaturally pale, and he moved with less than his natural grace. Before he could yell at the stupid fox for straining himself, Kurama turned a dazzling smile on him. It was only the third time Hiei had witnessed this powerful expression, and it was just as strong as it was the last time.

"I'm feeling much better today, thanks to you. My wounds have almost fully healed," he announced cheerfully, removing the roses from a vase at his bedside and shrinking them into seeds before stuffing them into the pockets of his oversized jacket.

"Hn," he grunted noncommittally, getting up and putting on his cloak with a flourish.

Kurama, still smiling, said softly, "I promise to take better care of myself from now on…"

Hiei froze at the comment, turning slowly to glare at the fox. His smile turned into a wicked grin upon seeing the look on Hiei's face.

"I'm touched that you think of me as your best friend, Hiei. I had thought you were above such sentiments," he continued, amusement dancing in his bright but tired green eyes.

Hiei mentally cursed himself. Of course, Kurama would remember even when he was asleep…or maybe he hadn't been. The fox was certainly tricky enough to pull something like this on him. He growled threateningly and promised menacingly, "Don't repeat what I said to anyone, or I won't have a best friend among the _living_ any longer."

"You have my word."

They walked out of the room together in silence, arriving in the common room where Kuwabara and Yusuke had already gathered.

"If it isn't our favorite demonic duo," Yusuke greeted in false cheer. Pretending to be in good spirits but fooling no one.

Kurama smirked at the reference, and Hiei merely scowled in annoyance.

"How ya holdin' up, Kurama," Yusuke asked, worried.

"I'm fine…nearly as good as new," he said, giving Hiei and appreciative glance that was pointedly ignored. Hiei wasn't about to own up to being nice. As far as he was concerned his days of playing doctor were over.

_A/N If you're wondering when the second time Hiei saw Kurama's smile was then read my fic, Caring, and you'll find out. This chapter also refers to my other work, Light, as well. It features a conversation between Touya and Kurama right before this happened.  
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